aclu of ohio
LGBTQ+ couples can adopt, but GOP rejects updating Ohio law to note that
Although it is legal in Ohio for LGBTQ+ couples to adopt, some GOP legislators want the state law to only acknowledge the adoption rights of heterosexual couples. A dispute over a single line in the 2,057-page state budget bill — passed by the Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday — has some civil rights advocates […]
Poll: Big majority in Ohio support getting rid of the death penalty
Almost 60% of Ohioans support replacing the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to a poll conducted late last year and released on Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and the advocacy group Ohioans to Stop Executions. In addition, a majority supports a full repeal, including […]
House bill would impose harsh new penalties on protesters and their organizations
In the wake of this summer’s massive civil-rights protests, two Republicans in the Ohio House have filed a bill that imposes harsh new penalties on certain protest-related activities.
New fiscal impact analysis shows Ohio can save big with bail reform
On any given day in Ohio, as many as 12,000 people are held in jail pretrial. Most are jailed not because of what they’ve allegedly done, but because of what they don’t have. This is due to Ohio’s reliance on cash bail, which creates a two-tiered system of justice in which those with resources go […]
LaRose: Each county to have one ballot drop box this fall
Ohio’s 88 counties will each have one ballot drop box available to use for the General Election, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Wednesday. LaRose made the directive to all county boards of elections. At a news conference on Wednesday, LaRose said he had asked the Ohio Attorney General’s office for legal insight as to […]
As COVID-19 cases surge, ACLU urges release of misdemeanor offenders from jail
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio is urging state criminal justice officials to eliminate money bonds and release eligible people from Ohio’s jails amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases. In a letter sent to over 450 legal personnel on Tuesday, the ACLU outlined recommendations to mitigate the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Elections 2020: LaRose caught between advocates, inactive legislature
Voting rights advocates have identified several changes they believe would make it easier for Ohioans to vote this November. With time running out for the state legislature to enact laws impacting the 2020 General Election, these advocates are pleading for Secretary of State Frank LaRose to take action. LaRose is the statewide official who oversees […]
Reimagining a broken system of policing
America’s criminal legal system is broken. Policing is part of that system and is no exception. In fact it’s where it all begins. It’s hard to imagine that any system with roots in slave patrols, groups of armed white men who enforced slave laws, can be just. So it’s no surprise that we have seen […]
House considers ‘stand your ground’ bill; critics call it a racist legal concept
Legalized lynching. Citizens’ license to kill. Codification of black men’s deaths. These were just a few of the characterizations people offered to the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee of a “stand your ground” proposal that lawmakers reviewed Tuesday. Starting in the afternoon and continuing well into the evening, a steady stream of citizens implored lawmakers […]
COVID-19 only underscores ACLU’s longstanding fight for society’s most vulnerable
As history painfully reminds us, during times of social uncertainty, political opportunism often leads to attacks on our civil liberties. At the ACLU of Ohio, we don’t choose between protecting people’s lives and safeguarding democracy. We can do both at the same time. Our organization’s priority work has long been about standing up for our […]
‘Ambulances leaving at all hours’ from Ohio federal prison, a COVID-19 hotbed
Craig Wilson, 42, is about halfway through a 10-year prison sentence for possession of methamphetamine and a firearm. He’s afraid he won’t survive until early 2026, when he’s slated for release. “I feel like I’ve been handed a death sentence,” Wilson said in a recent court filing. He’s one of about 2,400 inmates currently incarcerated […]
Some groups are educating Ohio voters about the primary voting system. Others are fighting it.
Time is of the essence. Civic groups in Ohio are split between promoting the 2020 primary election system put in place by the General Assembly and fighting for a better one. With the mail-only absentee ballot deadline now officially set, some advocate groups are getting to work educating voters about the multi-step process. It’s not […]